


the fight will be your own

by thisissirius



Series: RealWolf [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cuddling and Snuggling, Derek is a Badass, Gen, POV Outsider, Pack, Protectiveness, Spoilers, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-05
Updated: 2011-11-05
Packaged: 2017-10-25 17:52:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/273096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisissirius/pseuds/thisissirius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s a little morbid, Chris thinks, that Kate is lying dead on the floor off to one side, and Derek looks so much at home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the fight will be your own

**Author's Note:**

> spoilers ahead for the FINALE.

Chris has been a hunter for so long, he can’t remember a time when he wasn’t holding a gun and shooting to kill.

He knows everything about tracking and killing a werewolf; he’s got a kill list, buried somewhere so deep not even his wife knows it’s there. He remembers them all, remembers the colour of their fur, the colour their eyes were before they drained away. He remembers the human face that was left behind, burnt onto the back of his eyelids. He relives them all when he sleeps, nightmare after nightmare that he shoves down and writes off as a necessary evil. They kill only those who hunt humans and it’s been a code he could never betray.

Not like Kate. There’s a dull ache just behind his rib cage when he thinks of her but she forgot the code; she was willing to kill an innocent.

Chris steps into the house, knowing what he’s going to find when he does so. Kate is dead but he has to see. He led her into this, he knows. She used to be so fresh faced and free, revelling in death, sure, but never crossing that line. Not until Derek. Oh, he knows about Derek. Remembers the eyes; Derek’s had been innocent and kind back then, arm tight around Kate’s shoulders. He never would have expected -

The fire was a disaster and he can already hear his wife’s words in his head, free from blaming Kate and turning it back on the Pack. Chris knows differently. He’s seen the look on Alison’s face, the fear in Scott’s eyes. With the exception of Derek, this isn’t a pack that Chris knows will kill.

Even Derek-

When Chris walks into the house, Sheriff Stilinski is already there. He doesn’t know the man by name despite their children being acquaintances. He’s standing near the doorway, confused and apprehensive and Chris strides forward to see what the problem is. He’s aware half a second before he really looks that he hasn’t seen Scott and Stiles since he sent Alison home. He hasn’t seen Derek since then and when he finally rounds the corner, sees the pile in the middle of the floor, he stops abruptly.

Derek Hale is a wolf. Chris isn’t stupid; he knows Werewolves are part wolf, of course they are, but he’s never seen one look quite so dog-like. He’s all fur and snout and bright, glowing eyes. He looks like a dog Chris had as a kid, a mongrel who loved to bury his nose in Chris’ armpit and just lie there while Chris did his homework. Chris can’t imagine Derek doing that, not for him anyway.

What he _is_ doing is lying in the middle of the floor, head raised and eyes trained on them - Chris and the Sheriff - standing in the doorway of his home. It’s a little morbid, Chris thinks, that Kate is lying dead on the floor off to one side and Derek looks so much at home. That isn't what holds his attention; it’s Scott and Stiles, the two kids who suffered the most this night, curled up, heads pillowed on Derek’s side. Chris knows the dynamics of Pack. He’s studied them enough to know the role of alpha, beta and omega. Knows that they would never, willingly, let a human in unless - Stiles must be something special.

Sheriff Stilinski looks at him for a moment and Chris realises he spoke aloud. He shakes his head and they both turn back to Derek. The Sheriff takes a step forward and Derek’s hackles rise. His lips pull back, exposing sharp teeth and Chris knows they’ve ripped out throats, knows they’ve killed. There’s a low growl in the air and it’s coming from Derek. Chris puts a hand on Stilinski’s arm.

“Don’t.”

As soon as they both stop, Derek stops growling.

“That’s my son,” Stilinski says, gesturing at Stiles.

The kids look dead to the world; Scott has a hand fisted in the fur along Derek’s back and Stiles has one arm slung haphazardly over Scott’s waist. Chris doesn’t think either of them are going anywhere soon. He also doesn’t -

“I don’t think they’re in any danger,” he says slowly, hardly believing the words are coming out of his mouth. He knows he’s right. Derek Hale was never a threat; Chris thinks of all the times he’s interfered when Chris was after Scott, all the times Derek stepped in to save the beta.

Stilinski crouches low and Chris knows where Stiles gets his bravery from. He holds Derek’s gaze and Chris waits for the lunge, waits for him to dislodge Scott and Stiles and launch himself at the Sheriff. It never comes and Chris isn’t really surprised. He tilts his head a little, watches the Sheriff nod and Derek nod back. They must come to some agreement then because Derek turns to Chris, lips pulled back again. He doesn’t growl this time and the balls in Chris’ court.

He lets the gun in his hand tuck back into its holster and he nods. “Keep ‘em safe.”

Derek jerks his head a little and Chris thinks if a dog could laugh-

“Right,” Stilinski says. “We’ll get someone to move that body.”

Derek growls again and this time they both move. The sheriff puts a hand on Chris’ arm and they both move towards the doorway. Just before they get there, Chris can’t help but look back once more, wondering how much of Derek he’s miscalculated. Derek’s head is dipped low, contemplating the look of his boys and they are, really, by Pack if not by friendship. Almost as if he knows Chris is watching, Derek lets out a little huff and then rests his head on his paws, eyes on Chris.

Chris feels his fist clench by his side and he makes a silent vow, another to add to the code he already has. There are hunters that he knows will come, the promise of the now-dead Alpha too much to resist. They'll be in for a welcome surprise. Derek will protect his Pack with everything he has but Chris will be in their way too.

There’s no way he’s letting any hunter get between this Pack.

**Author's Note:**

> written almost always for ionaonie. everything is her fault.


End file.
